Device for imparting an intermittent rotary motion



Jan. 9, 1951 G. E. HARTLEY 2,537,345

DEVICE FOR IMPARTING AN INTERMITTENT ROTARY MOTION Filed Dec. 9, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l oven [or g mic/new Jan. 9, 1951 cs. E. HARTLEY 2,537,345

DEVICE FOR IMPARTING AN INTERMITTENT ROTARY MOTION Filed Dec. 9, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fifi I Afton/leg Patented Jan. 9, 1951 DEYICETFO'RLIMP'ARTIN G. A-N-= INrT ERMITIIENT ROTARY MOTION- George Ernest Hartley, Wat-ford; England" Application December 9, 1946;;Serial Nor 714,955t In Great Britain Decemberdh,z 1945,?

7 ofthel'typel-having the advertisin ematteieappiied to a glass front, the said sign bein illuminated by light on a plurality of reflecting shutters positioned behind the glass, said shutters being caused to rock on vertically disposed pivots.

The object of the present invention is to pro-- vide a movable advertising device having a new and. improved driving motor of the type in which vibratory movement of a resilient finger connected to a vibrating armature is transmitted by friction in one direction only to a rotatable wheel to impart a step-by-step rotation thereto. Another object is to provide an improved advertisin device of this character in which the driving motor will work reliably within relatively wide limits of adjustment and will work satisfactorily when the magnet is energised with alternating current of a frequency within the range normally supplied for electric lighting purposes; Further objects and features will become apparent as this specification proceeds.

When the invention is to be applied to a device in which the rotary movement of the disc is to be converted into a partial rotative or angular movement in two directions such as is necessary in the case of signs of the type above referred to, an eccentric pin is mounted on said wheel or disc, and one end of a connecting link or rod is designed to be pivotally mounted on said eccentric pin, the free or outer end of said connecting link or rod being connected to a parallel linkage operating the reflecting shutters.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention as applied to an advertising device of the oscillating-slat p Figure l is a front elevation of an advertising sign with part of several of the reflecting shutters cut away to show certain details of the operating mechanism.

Figure 2 is a plan view on the line II-II Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line II IIII Figure 1 drawn to an enlarged scale, and,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a detail of construction drawn to an enlarged scale.

The advertising device comprises a skeleton framework composed of a longitudinally disposed base member I and a longitudinally disposed top member 2 held in rigid spaced relationship by a pair of vertically disposed end members 3 disposediatfleach end, of the base and top members [and 2,, which latter are furnishedwithparts 4 andi. respectively, each of said par-ts beingprovided. with a. plurality, of aperture 6 and 'I" re'= spectivelyv which serve as bearingsfor extensions 8. andlfil provided on each, of a plurality 'fv'er tically disposed facetedrefiectin shutter plates I0. Each of the shutters It is furnished adjacent its lower end with a rearwardly directed arm II arranged to engage in a vertically disposed slot I2 provided in a reciprocating member I3 disposed to the rear of the part 4, said reciprocating member being supported by a pair of links I4, Ma, pivotally connected at I5 to the member I3, said links being suspended on pivot pins I6 mounted in the part 5. A reciprocating partial rotative or angular movement is imparted to the shutters I!) by means of an electro magnetic device II, actuated by alternating current which imparts a trembler action to the armature I8 of such device, said armature being provided with a spring finger I9 having a tapered end 20 ar ranged to coact with a peripheral groove 2I provided in a wheel or disc 22 rotatably mounted on a stub axle 23 rigidly mounted on the base member I. A The disc 22 is provided with a boss 24 having an eccentrically disposed pin 25 on which is. pivoted a link 26 the other end of which is pivoted at 21 on the link I4.

In operation, the oscillating movement of the armature l8 and thereby of the spring finger I9 in one direction imparts a partial rotative movement to the disc 22 but in the reverse direction the tapered end 20 of the finger I9 is withdrawn from the groove 21, the arrangement being such that a continuous step-by-step rotative movement is imparted to the disc 22 and a reciprocatory partial rotative or angular movement in two directions is imparted to the shutter plates Ill.

The reciprocating member I3 is preferably furnished with means for maintaining same in correct parallel relationship with the part 4 secured to the base I, and, such means may consist of the upwardly directed pins 28 secured in the base I by nuts I29 the upwardly directed ends being arranged to pass through slots 29 provided in the member I3.

As it may be desirable at times to vary the frequency of the oscillations of the shutter-slats in, means, such as the set screw 36, may be provided for varying the gap between the end of core of the electro-magnet and the armature I8 and thus the stroke of the latter.

It will be understood that the motor device forming the essential feature of this invention may be utilised for imparting rotary motion to turn tables for displaying various articles, for example in shop windows and the like.

What I claim is:

In an advertising device havin a rigid frame with a plurality of movable parts mounted therein means for actuating said movable parts comprising a supporting bracket mounted on said frame, an electro-magnetic device mounted in said supporting bracket, a rotary wheel also mounted in said supporting bracket with its axis at right angles to the axis of the armature of the electromagnetic device, said rotary wheel having on one side a stub axle for mounting it in said supporting bracket and on the other side an eccentrically disposed boss; a link element connected at one end to said boss and at the other end to said movable parts for transmitting motion thereto, a pair of outwardly tapering flanges provided on the periphery of said wheel defining an inwardly tapering groove between them, and a spring metal finger secured to the armature of said electro-magnetic device for endwise movement therewith, the free end of said finger being outwardly tapered for frictional engagement in said peripheral groove at an angle to the radius of the wheel at the point of contact therewith,

the said outwardly tapered free end of said finger being in wedging relationship with said inwardly tapering groove upon movement of said finger in the direction towards which its free end points, said finger being adapted on the movement of the armature in one direction partially to rotate the wheel and thus impart on intermittent movement to said movable parts.

GEORGE ERNEST HARTLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 429,857 Loftus June 10, 1890 1,577,460 Franca Mar. 23, 1926 1,761,146 Muck June 3, 1930 2,123,361 Hollis July 12, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 362,696 Italy Sept. 1, 1938 691,751 France July 21, 1930 812,446 France Feb. 1, 1937 

